Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award

This is an alternating award given every 3 years to a faculty member who has excelled in teaching, research, or advisory service.

This year's winner of the Outstanding Teacher Award is Dr.
Elizabeth Canuel.

Liz is that exemplary leader who seeks no recognition for
herself yet gives unstintingly to others. She has served on 47 graduate student
committees and has mentored 4 post-doctoral scholars, 14 graduate students, and
many laboratory technicians. Liz is always quick to accept an undergraduate
student, an REU student, or a high-school student looking for hands-on
experience.

In addition to maintaining a leading-edge research program,
Liz has been actively engaged in diverse aspects of our education program. She
currently teaches four different graduate courses. Liz’s lectures provide a
thorough review of important concepts, and she is particularly adept at
simplifying complicated topics. She stimulates discussion and encourages
students to critically examine literature and to incorporate new topics into their
research.

Additionally, Liz led the SMS Academic Council through
critical periods of strategic planning, the revision of the core-course
curriculum, and the development of the Undergraduate Marine Science Minor. As
co-director of the undergraduate minor, Liz has helped guide the program
through the complex labyrinth of process and paperwork—and students have been
joining up since the spring of 2010.

Liz embodies the qualities of an outstanding faculty teacher
and is highly deserving of this award.

Thank you, Liz—you
are an excellent role model for those contributing to teaching at VIMS and
elsewhere, and we all are grateful for your contributions.